Designing Discussions that Work IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

Designing Discussions that Work IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

Objectives: Assess various types of questions Mange time in overseeing discussions Discuss instructor responsibility Discuss effective grading practices Develop questions that are intentional and increase student engagement

Online discussions have potential… Online discussions can have a place in all modes of learning Online discussion can increase participation Increase thoughtfulness of conversation in student responses Increases the amount of responses students provide

Avoid asking yes or no questions Asking yes/no questions generates a thin discussion by allowing students to respond to a prompt briefly and with little reflection or critical analysis.

For example: Bad Example: Historically, has the U. S. Supreme Court upheld campus-based speech codes? Good Example: What reasons has the U. S. Supreme Court given for tossing out campusbased speech codes and do you agree or disagree with those reasons?

Avoid questions that call for purely factual answers.

For Example: Bad Example: What is the First Amendment? Good Example: In what ways does the First Amendment’s statement on freedom of speech appear to leave the door open for debate on the legality of hate speech?

Target reflection, interpretation, analysis, or problem solving. Prompt students to think in ways that stretch their understanding. Asking questions that call for reflection, interpretation, analysis, or problem solving leads to a more meaningful and instructive learning experience. Good questioning practice in this case would provide a scenario that dives deep into the topic.

More ways to engage…. Ask questions that solicit relevant personal opinion and/or personal experiences. Example: Have you every been the direct target of work-place harassment? Have you know a close relative or friend who has? What was your/their experience like? How has that experience contributed to your own position on appropriate work-place environments?

It starts at the beginning…. Convergent Thinking Usually begin with: Why How In what ways…. Divergent Thinking Usually begin with: Imagine Suppose Predict If. . . , then…. How might Convergent thinking generally means “to produce the correct answer. ” Learners can research a topic and can bring a variety of problems together to solve a problem. Can you create What are some possible consequences Divergent thinking allows students to take a topic and creatively expand on the ideas. Evaluative Thinking Usually begins with these words or phrases: Defend Judge Justify What do you think about… What is your opinion… Evaluative thinking takes students to the next level by pursuing deeper knowledge through reflection, understanding various perspectives, and being able to make an informed decision.

Example Convergent How are discussion boards beneficial? Divergent How might discussion boards increase student engagement and support a community-based approach in learning? Evaluative In your experience, do you feel that student engagement is increased through discussion? Are there options that may be a better alternative?

Other important considerations Time Management • Summarize general discussion • Chime in when appropriate • Check DB every time you enter course. Instructor Presence Grading Expectations • Instructor should be present in order to provide feedback. • • Option to restrict viewing thread until first post is submitted. Rubric enhances the importance and participation, clearly lays out expectations • Can be participation points inperson • Be aware of student response requirements. • Determine point values; decide whether or not content should outweigh grammar. • Grade partially until reply has been submitted. • Limited amount of students may increase instructor responsibility to interact What other “best practices” are you doing?

Your turn… Practice writing a couple questions that are applicable to your subject area Keep in mind: Avoid Yes/No questions Avoid purely factual answers Target reflection, interpretation, analysis, or problem solving Ask questions that solicit personal experience Practice writing one convergent, divergent and evaluative question